An air bag connector is a connector to be used in a trigger circuit for operating an air bag. It comprises a pair of connector housings having a pair of matable terminals. A shorting bar is provided in one of the connector housings having the terminal connected to the trigger circuit for forming a misfiring-protection circuit by short circuiting the trigger circuit when the connector housings are accidentally disconnected. A push-up projection is located on the other connector housing to push up the shorting bar for opening the misfiring-protection circuit in the case of the mating of the connectors.
An air bag is a very important system to save human life and must avoid misfiring in case of accident or collision. However, the trigger circuit is provided with a misfire protection mechanism comprising the aforementioned shorting bar to protect misfiring of the air bag by short circuiting the electrodes when the connectors are accidentally disconnected or intentionally disconnected to test the trigger circuit.
The shorting bar for the misfiring-protection circuit must assure the opening or breaking of the circuit between the electrodes by its push-up projection when the connectors are mated. If the electrodes remain at a short-circuit condition, the air bag will not be operated in case of accident.